Patient transfer/turning bed

Abstract

Embodiment (14) of the present invention has powered rotating drive rollers (44, 46) on each side of the bed's mattress (30). The drive rollers are connected to articulating arms (56) which pivot about axis (58, 59) near the center of the head end (21) and the foot end (22) of the bed. A transfer/turning sheet (66) removably connects to the drive rollers. By raising the drive roller on one side of the bed a patient (80) will be rolled over toward the opposite side. That drive rolled will then be lowered and the transfer/turning sheet will lay flat on the mattress again. The patient can be transferred laterally (47) across the bed by turning the drive rollers.

We claim: 
     
       1. A bed for turning over a patient comprising: a mattress, said mattress having a first side edge and a second side edge and to be placed on a bed frame;   a bed frame, said bed frame having side edges, a head end, a foot end, and a centerline, said centerline being a line from approximately the midspan of said head end to approximately the midspan of said foot end and located at an elevation which may range from a few inches above said mattress to a few inches below said mattress;   a first boom and a second boom, said first boom located near said first side edge of said mattress and said second boom located near said second side edge of said mattress, the length of said booms being approximately the length of said bed frame;   articulating arms having a free end and a pivoting end, the ends of said booms connected to said free ends of said articulating arms, said pivoting ends of said articulating arms connected to pivoting means located on or near each end of said centerline;   means for pivoting said articulating arms to a desired angular position over and under said mattress and said side edges;   a turning sheet that underlies the patient, a first side edge of said turning sheet connected to said first boom, a second side edge of said turning sheet connected to said second boom;   control means for actuating said pivoting means, and   by actuating said articulating arms connected to said first boom that boom is raised and said patient is turned over in one direction, then by lowering said first boom and by actuating said articulating arms connected to said second boom that boom is raised and said patient is turned over in the other direction.   
     
     
       2. A bed as defined in claim 1 wherein said turning sheet is removably connected to said booms. 
     
     
       3. A bed as defined in claim 1 wherein said first boom is a first powered rotating drive roller and said second boom is a second powered rotating drive roller, said powered rotating drive rollers are rotated by driving means, said first side edge of said turning sheet wraps around and connects to said first powered rotating drive roller and said second side edge of said turning sheet wraps around and connects to said second powered rotating drive roller, when actuated one of said drive rollers winds and pulls said turning sheet while the other drive roller unwinds and releases said turning sheet so said turning sheet can travel across said bed thus repositioning said patient at a desired location on said bed. 
     
     
       4. A bed as defined in claim 3 wherein said powered rotating drive rollers are rotatably disengagable from said driving means thereby allowing said powered rotating drive rollers to rotate freely when desired. 
     
     
       5. A bed as defined in claim 4 wherein each of said powered rotating drive rollers have at least one hand wheel to ease rotating said powered rotating drive rollers when said powered rotating drive rollers are disconnected from said drive means. 
     
     
       6. A bed as defined in claim 1 further including handrails, said handrails pivotally connected to said free ends of said articulating arms. 
     
     
       7. A bed as defined in claim 6 further including freely rotating handrails for a top sheet and/or blanket to travel over. 
     
     
       8. A bed as defined in claim 6 further including a system for managing bed covers during the turning process, said system comprising a restraining means attached to the side edges of said bed covers, one end of said restraining means attaches to the side edges of said bed covers, said bed covers are disposed over said patient and the handrails, the other end of said restraining means attaches to the side edges of said bed frame, as one of said booms is raised to turn over said patient said restraining means causes said bed covers to span between said handrails and downwardly toward said bed frame thus allowing said patient to be turned over without becoming entangled in said bed covers. 
     
     
       9. A bed as defined in claim 8 wherein said restraining means comprises an elastic element which allows said bed covers to move as required while still restraining their side edges when said booms are raised during said turning process. 
     
     
       10. A bed as defined in claim 1 wherein said control means comprises a programmable logic controller which integrates controlling the turning of the patient and lifting of the patient. 
     
     
       11. A bed for turning over a patient comprising: a mattress, said mattress having a first side edge and a second side edge and to be placed on a bed frame;   a bed frame, said bed frame having side edges, a head end, a foot end, and a centerline, said centerline being a line from approximately the midspan of said head end to approximately the midspan of said foot end and located at an elevation which may range from a few inches above said mattress to a few inches below said mattress;   a first powered rotating drive roller and a second powered rotating drive roller, said first powered rotating drive roller located near said first side edge of said mattress and said second powered rotating drive roller located near said second side edge of said mattress, the length of said powered rotating drive rollers being approximately the length of said bed frame;   articulating arms having a free end and a pivoting end, the ends of said booms connected to said free ends of said articulating arms, said pivoting ends of said articulating arms connected to pivoting means located on or near each end of said centerline;   means for pivoting said articulating arms to a desired angular position over and under said mattress and said side edges and means to rotate said powered rotating drive rollers;   a transfer/turning sheet that underlies the patient, a first side edge of said transfer/turning sheet wraps around and connects to said first powered rotating drive roller, a second side edge of said transfer/turning sheet wraps around and connects to said second powered rotating drive roller;   control means for actuating said pivoting means and said powered rotating drive rollers, and   by actuating said articulating arms connected to said first powered rotating drive roller that drive roller is raised and said patient is turned over in one direction, then by lowering said first powered rotating drive roller and by actuating said articulating arms connected to said second powered rotating drive roller that drive roller is raised and said patient is turned over in the other direction, by actuating one of said powered rotating drive roller that drive roller winds and pulls said transfer/turning sheet while the other drive roller unwinds and releases said transfer/turning sheet so said transfer/turning sheet can travel across said bed thus repositioning said patient at a desired location on said bed.   
     
     
       12. A bed as defined in claim 11 wherein said transfer/turning sheet has a fluid pervious lower laminate which is removably connected to said powered rotating drive rollers and a upper sheet which is removably connected to said lower laminate. 
     
     
       13. A bed as defined in claim 11 wherein said powered rotating drive rollers are rotatably disengagable from said means to rotate said powered rotating drive rollers thereby allowing said powered rotating drive rollers to rotate freely when desired. 
     
     
       14. A bed as defined in claim 13 wherein each of said powered rotating drive rollers have at least one hand wheel to ease rotating said powered rotating drive rollers when said powered rotating drive rollers are disconnected from said means to rotate said powered rotating drive rollers. 
     
     
       15. A bed as defined in claim 11 further including handrails, said handrails pivotally connected to said free end of said articulating arms. 
     
     
       16. A bed as defined in claim 15 further including freely rotating handrails for bed covers to travel over. 
     
     
       17. A bed as defined in claim 16 further including a system for managing said bed covers during the turning process, said system comprising a restraining means attached to the side edges of said bed covers, one end of said restraining means attaches to said side edges of said bed covers, said bed covers are disposed over said patient and said handrails, the other end of said restraining means attaches to the side edges of said bed frame, as one of said powered rotating drive rollers is raised to turn over said patient said restraining means causes said bed covers to span between said handrails and downwardly toward said bed frame thus allowing said patient to be turned over without becoming entangled in said bed covers. 
     
     
       18. A bed as defined in claim 17 wherein said restraining means comprises an elastic element which allows said bed covers to move as required while still restraining said side edges when said powered rotating drive rollers are raised during said turning process. 
     
     
       19. A bed as defined in claim 11 wherein said means to rotate and control means comprises individual systems for each of said powered rotating drive rollers thereby allowing said drive rollers to rotate in either the same direction or in opposite directions, by raising said powered rotating drive rollers and rotating them in opposite directions said patient can be lifted off the surface of said mattress and by reversing the rotation of said drive rollers said patient can be placed on said mattress again. 
     
     
       20. A bed as defined in claim 19 wherein said control means comprises a programmable logic controller which integrates controlling the repositioning the patient, and turning of the patient, lifting of the patient.